NONInteractive Forever!
by T.B. Stormshot
Summary: It's legit! Really! Anyway, crazy stuff happens. Recapped: Evil overlords, all the Animorphs, a bunch of freaky people, the Drode, the Ellimist, Crayak, saving the universe from galactic war, and a giant red beanbag. Despite this it's all good. Really.
1. Default Chapter

_Okay, Non-Interactive 6.0 is back! Let's all cheer and stuff! Yay! Anyway, this means of course that you can no longer give me any ideas in the review box, however, if you really have a good idea, you can e-mail it to me at Shiftywind1984@msn.com. It's a damned fine story so far, and __you_ guys can make it even better! I did form the plot pretty much from what you guys said... okay, _most_ of it... heh... 

  
  


**NON-INTERACTIVE 6.0!!!!**  
(and other crazy crap)   
  
Created by: T.B. Stormshot-(to be added on)   
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Animorphs, and I'm too tired to say anything funny attaining to the fact that I don't either... ...So there...  
  


* * *

  
  
It was the day after the Animorphs had completed their latest crazy mission. The sky was a bright cheery blue with hardly a cloud in the sky, a light breeze rattled the trees as birds chirped joyously. The day was the lazy sort with next-door neighbors mowing their lawns and little kids cooling off by running through sprinklers or floating boats in plastic swimming pools.   
  
The perfect day to relax after a full night of kicking the crap out of Visser 3.   
  
_Or so the Animorphs thought._   
  
Rachel was sunning out in the backyard on a plastic lawnchair. She wore a fashionable pair of sunglasses, a cute pink bikini, and had already informed her sisters that *If they bothered her, they would be cast into the firey pits of Mt. DOOM* as they were somewhat caught up into Lord of the Rings at the moment. She fully expected to be left alone all day so she could relax, catch a couple Z's, and tan. She wanted nothing more. Not even Cassie, not even Tobias could pry her from that chair.   
  
Suddenly, a very, very unwelcome shadow stepped into her sun, causing her to growl in annoyance at the intruder. She just _wanted to be left the hell alone!!!_ "If that's you Sara, I _swear_ those Barbie dolls of yours are losing their _heads!_" Rachel hissed aggressively.   
  
"I rather like the sound of that," came a voice that was _definitely_ not Sara's. Rachel, in her half-asleep state tried to place the unfamiliar voice.   
  
"Uggh, is that you Tobias? I told you, I don't wanna go flying today. I just want to lay here. In the sun," she groaned before rolling over with obvious effort.   
  
"... You finally had a nervous breakdown didn't you? Aww, poor Wachel, so sick, but then again you always were a little sick weren't you?" the voice sneered. Again, Rachel tried to place the voice, but lying in the sun for a couple hours on hardly more than three hours of sleep had its effects.   
  
"Marco?" she mumbled uncertainly, trying to come out of the mid-day stupor.   
  
"... ... it's not Marco" the shadow replied after a moment of silence.   
  
"Well who-" Rachel finally managed to open her sleep-encrusted eyes and squinted towards the obstacle in the way of her precious sunlight. Her eyes focused inevenly, first the right one came in focus, and then the left, suddenly the right went out of focus, with the left following suit. It took several more moments for her vision to clear, but finally she was able to look clearly at the offending object.   
  
It was the Drode.   
  
In her nice, warm lawn.   
  
While she was there. In her cute, pink bikini.   
  
She stared for a moment as it all came together inside her fuzzy mind. And then...   
  
"AHHHHH!" she shrieked before leaping from her sprawled position on the lawnchair to the ground and immediately put the the lawnchair between herself and the chair, hunching over to hide her body. The Drode blinked and crossed his sectioned arms. "You-You-YOU!" she screeched, unable to get anything out. She looked around for something to cover herself and grabbed a damp towel off another lawnchair, one of her sisters had probably left it there after playing in the sprinkler, she would have to thank whoever it was later.   
  
The Drode blinked and then sneered. "Oh Puh-lease. I've seen better bodies on _Howlers._ And even if I wanted to rape someone, it sure wouldn't be some immature _mortal_ like you."   
  
"I don't care! Just get out of here! This is my day OFF! I promised myself that I wouldn't deal with yeerks, Visser 3, the Ellimist, OR Crayak today and I definitely am NOT going to deal with _YOU!_" Rachel screamed angrily, grabbing the nearest object, a bottle of sun block, and throwing it at the Drode. The Drode caught it with surprising speed and looked it over as the bottle became surprisingly interesting.   
  
"Meow. Having a premature case of PMS I see," the Drode replied nonchalantly. Rachel opened her mouth as if to say something, seething in unspeakable rage, so unspeakable she was unable to say a thing. The Drode took this chance to move on with the conversation. "But you should relax, I'm not here for the yeerks or Visser 3, and I'm definitely not here for that despicable Ellimist. In fact, I'm not even here for Lord Crayak. I'm actually here for a being that is so incredibly powerful, so incredibly _vile_ that not even my master can stand up to it."   
  
Rachel was still incredibly angry, but managed to cool herself at the mention of such a monster. "Then what the heck are YOU doing here? Why doesn't this guy just come down and talk to me in person?" 

"_She_ says that such a small mind as yours would be unable to process such a powerful force as herself, and the mere sight of her would overwhelm your mind and kill you instantly. While I'm inclined to agree about your feeble mind, I have to admit it's probably more or less because she's taken a shine to me," the Drode shrugged, suddenly looking the other way.   
  
Rachel blinked and squinted in confusion. "What?"   
  
"She likes me for some reason and is forcing me to gather up you Animorphs and a few other people for no reason that's apparent to me. Believe it or not this is totally against my will."   
  
"I still don't care! Come back tomorrow, this is my day off and I plan to spend it roasting in this lawnchair under the hot sun. And not _you_ or even some ultimate evil is going to stop me!"   
  
"First of all, I never said she was _evil_ persay. She's eccentric--idiotic in my taste. Second of all, you really have no choice," the Drode said, and with that he nimbly leaped over the lawnchair and grabbed Rachel by the arm. And as Rachel began to wrench her arm away from the Drode's grip, they both disappeared in a poof of bright purple smoke.   
  
  
  


**TO BE CONTINUED...**

* * *

_Okay, that's the first chapter. Uh... I guess you can go read the second chapter now..._


	2. Chapter 2

**NON-INTERACTIVE 6.0!!!!**  
(The greatest Animorph story ever told)   
  
Created by: Super Hurricane, Pheophins, Rachel9466, Jinako-Chan, Alikat, Bookworm, Snow_bliz, ... other people when I decide to use their ideas... oh yeah, and ME!!! T.B. Stormshot! 

Disclaimer: I still don't own Animorphs. Sue me... no... don't. Gah, why do I get the feeling I've used that joke before... uggh...   
  


* * *

  
  
Aighty. 

"Let me go you _freak!_" Rachel screamed as she wrenched her wrist from the Drode's grip. 

"The rage, the mental anguish, Rachel, you really are unique," the Drode said half-heartedly. He sighed and looked apologetically towards the enraged Rachel. "I'd do better, but being forced against my will to charter _kids_ around the world is really putting a damper on my charm." 

"Charm? _Charm?!_ You disgusting monster, I should kill you now!" Rachel screamed angrily, forcing herself to concentrate on her grizzly bear morph, she focused mainly on the power and size, and what her bear claws could _do_ to the Drode. 

"Ah, that you still can't do. Even more so now actually, like I said, this woman has taken a shine to me. In fact, I would warn you not to even _touch_ me. You wouldn't _believe_ what she did to Marco when he tried to take a chunk out of me. It was beautiful," the Drode cackled, his eyes flashing brightly at the memory. 

"Marco? You have Marco?" Rachel asked in surprise, she stopped in mid-morph, muscles bulging and fur just beginning to sprout. 

"Oh yes. She has Marco. And Jake, and Cassie, and Aximili, and Tobias... we all know how much you love the bird. I wonder how much he loves you though, I was so _sure_ that he would transform back to a human after gaining the ability. Well, _too_ bad, even I can be wrong I suppose..." the Drode chuckled. 

"_Shut up!_" Rachel yelled, she truly wanted to lash out at the Drode, but with her friends at stake she didn't want to risk it, slowly and painfully she demorphed. "Where are they?" 

The Drode shrugged. "The actual location is far beyond your mind, which is why _I_ am here." 

"What?" Rachel snapped angrily, narrowing her eyes at the Drode. The Drode grinned. 

"Your transportation awaits," he replied smiling widely as he stretched out his hand as graciously as possible. 

"Oh god..." Rachel said taking a step back. "No! I'm not going anywhere with you!" she yelled hatefully at the Drode. 

"But you already have," the Drode exclaimed, outstretching his hands at the new surroundings. "Now that didn't hurt did it?" Rachel looked around, now realizing she was no longer in her backyard. She was on an unfamiliar neighborhood street in front of a large house. Still wearing her bikini? She looked down at herself, no, she was wearing her morphing clothes, the skin-tight leotard that was the only thing she could morph with her. No shoes either. 

"I took the chance to change you into your... working clothes. Relax, I didn't peek," the Drode grinned snidely. 

"Where are we?" Rachel hissed, ignoring the Drode's comments. The Drode shrugged in response. 

"I've decided to make a few pitstops to pick up a few other people my... well _she_ wished of me before returning. I trust you'll be patient," the Drode told her in a rather eerily rational, laughter-free voice. Rachel shrugged, turning away from the Drode without saying anything. The Drode grinned and walked up to the white door of the house. He glanced back and grinned at Rachel before flourishingly ringing the doorbell. 

After a few moments of waiting, he rang again. 

And then again. 

And then again. 

"I guess nobody's home," Rachel yelled out sarcastically. "But that's alright, everybody makes mistakes!" The Drode sneered and was preparing to say something extra nasty and when finally he heard footsteps from inside the house, he turned back and watched as the door open. 

"Eh?" came from the teenager who answered as he rubbed sleep from his eyes. The Drode raised a nonexistent eye brow. 

"You realize it's almost noon you know," the Drode said as he looked at the sleepy person. 

"So?" the boy replied. He finally finished rubbing his eyes and looked at the Drode. He stared for a long moment and then blinked. "Is this some sort of candid camera prank? Because if so it really sucks." 

"Steve, right?" the Drode asked, the boy nodded in response. "Have you ever been interested in saving the world?" 

"Not really," Steve shrugged. "Be seeing ya, I'm going back to bed." Steve began to close the door, but the Drode quickly put one clawed foot in the way. "Hey! I told you, I'm not _interested_ in your little joke! I admit, that's certainly a very nice costume you have there, but it doesn't work! Now go away!" 

"Ah, a sceptic aren't we? Well, as much as I'd _love_ to let you waste away in your bed, I'm afraid I _can't_. Call it an obligation," the Drode said, grinning wryly as he snatched Steve's wrist and dragged Steve out of the house. Rachel observed from the driveway, that despite the Drode's weak-looking arms, he had more strength than he let on. 

"LET GO OF ME!" Steve yelled as he tried in vain to break free of the Drode's grip. Rachel snorted at Steve's attempt, wondering if he could do any better than that. 

The Drode dragged the struggling Steve up to Rachel and looked at both of them for a long moment. "Rachel. I'd like to introduce you to Steve. Steve, this is Rachel." 

"LET GO OF ME YOU PRUNE-FACED FREAK!" Steve yelled in response. 

"Well isn't _that_ original," the Drode commented before calmly flicking Steve in the head with a single finger. Immediately Steve collapsed. 

"What'd you do to him?" Rachel asked in a reluctant tone. 

"I knocked him out for a few hours. He was beginning to annoy me with his boring insults," the Drode shrugged. He then grinned, "Shall we be off? Only a couple more stops to go and then you can be with your bird-boy again." He opened his other hand and made a waving motion, Rachel shivered in disgust. "I'm so sorry you're revolted by my very presence but I'm afraid you're going to have to hold my hand before we can actually _go_ anywhere." 

Rachel sneered, but the Drode simply smiled in venomous delight. Finally Rachel tentatively touched the Drode wrinkled hand and the Drode gripped tightly. "Uggh, let's just get this over with," she said, trying to hold her disgust in. 

"Aww Rachel, I never knew you cared," the Drode chuckled maliciously. With a tight grip on both passengers the Drode popped out with a poof of bright pink smoke. 

Rachel felt a pull that was almost too much to bear. Not a physical pull, but rather a tug on her soul. It took her breath away as she felt both hot and cold and something else altogether at once. She glimpsed bright colors, reds, purples, yellows, colors she couldn't began to describe. Creatures that knew no beginning or end. It was beautiful, it was ugly, it was... 

"Never did get used to that," the Drode commented. The ride was suddenly over. Rachel looked up expecting a sneer, but was surprised to find the Drode looking rather sincere. However, it only lasted a second before he grinned again, "Overwhelming I suppose? Of course it would be." 

"Shut up," Rachel growled. "Who's this guy anyway?" she then asked. The Drode shrugged. 

"I don't know, just some human named Steve. Nobody my lord Crayak would worry about." 

"Yeah? Well whoever he is, he needs some fashion sense, _badly_. You don't buy everything you own at Sports Fitness," Rachel muttered, looking down with distaste at the boy who wore blue bike shorts and a rather tight T-shirt. His hair-tossled head sported both black goggles and a trendy pair of glasses. 

"Now _that's_ the Rachel I know," the Drode cackled as he walked up to a nearby blue house. Rachel gave a small kick to the unconscious body of Steve as the Drode left to walk up to a nearby blue house. He paused, glanced back with a slight grin, and rang the doorbell. 

_DingDong!_

Immediately, someone walked up to the door and slowly opened it just a crack. A small teenager peeked out shyly. "Hello?" she asked softly. 

The Drode grinned nastily and pushed the door open. Georgia gasped and took a single step backwards before freezing in fear. "Let's dispense with the pleasantries shall we? You are required to come with me whether you like it or not. And I've been given permission to do this however way I like, so it's the _easy_ way, or the _hard_ way. I suggest the easy way. You see that boy over there?" the Drode said, snatching Georgia's hand as she began to back away from the door, he pulled her out the door and pointed to the unconscious Steve. "He wanted to do it the hard way. I knocked him out with a single tap to the head. Now I'm sure you don't want the same, do you?" 

"N-No-" Georgia stammered out fearfully. 

"Good. Then if you would just come with me and my little _friends_ over there, we can get this over with. Are you going to come quietly?" the Drode asked, he menacingly looked at Georgia with narrowed eyes. 

"Y-Yes. Just don't _hurt_ me," Georgia complied softly, shaking at the touch of the Drode's claw. 

"Good. Let's go," the Drode nodded. He walked towards the rest of the small group, carefully making sure he kept a tight enough grip on Georgia's arm to keep her from running away. Rachel raised an eyebrow as he came back with the frightened Georgia and the Drode shrugged. "Not my decision. This is Georgia." 

"That state right next to Alabama?" Rachel asked sarcastically. 

The Drode snorted scornfully and rolled his slitted eyes, which was a rather unsettling sight. "One more stop and then our little pick-up will be over with. I can get back to what I should _really_ be doing..." he muttered. 

"Being a henchman for Crayak?" Rachel retorted back. 

"Ha ha. Sometimes I wonder if you're the comedian instead of Marco," the Drode sneered before snapping up Steve over his small back and grabbing Rachel's hand. Immediately they disappeared in a poof of sea green smoke. 

  
  
"Now you're not going to run away are you?" the Drode asked dryly. "Afterall, I could easily catch you again... and it's not like you have a _weapon_ or anything." 

"N-no. What do you want from me?" Georgia asked. The Drode shrugged. 

"None of my business," he replied as he hopped over the yet unconscious Steve and walked up to the next house. A small garage was nearby with a gray compact sitting on the driveway. The Drode went up to the door and rang the doorbell. 

"So _who_ are you?" Rachel asked Georgia, who was at the moment staring wide-eyed at the Drode who was beginning to knock on the door after the lack of any answer from the doorbell. 

"I-I'm Georgia," she replied, stammering slightly. "Who are you?" 

"Rachel," Rachel replied, keeping an eye on the increasingly frustrated Drode. 

"What's happening? What is that? And what does it want with you and I?" she paused for a moment, looked down at the still-unconscious Steve and added, "and him?" 

"I know what he wants from _me_. But I have no idea of what he could possibly want with two kids like you," Rachel replied. 

"Hey! You look about the same age as me!" Georgia stated haughtingly as she stood up straight. 

Rachel narrowed her eyes and stared directly into Georgia's. "You really can't call me a _kid_ anymore." 

"What's that supposed to mean? And you still haven't told me what that little monster is," Georgia exclaimed. 

Rachel shrugged, but finally complied. "It's name is the Drode. He's an evil little bastard that works for an even more evil bastard named Crayak. Usually Crayak is kept in check by another being named the Ellimist, but something went wrong. Someone else showed up and now _he's_ working for this new girl," Rachel told her as she pointed at the Drode who was now punching the door with enough force to wind an elephant. "I don't know what she wants though. The Drode won't tell me." 

"How do you know all this?" Georgia asked, looking wide-eyed at Rachel. 

Rachel shrugged. "Met them a few times." 

"Oh," Georgia replied simply. 

"Nice hat by the way," Rachel asked, remarking on Georgia's bucket hat. "Goes well with those sneakers and jeans." 

"Um, thank you," Georgia thanked, slightly startled. 

"You know, you and my friend Cassie could exchange fashion tips together." 

  
  
"HELLO?! IS ANYBODY _HOME?!_" the Drode shouted angrily as he banged on the door. He sighed and finally stopped slamming his fist into the door. Leaving half-inch indents in the solid wood wasn't solving anything. "Screw this," he muttered as he called upon his Crayak-given powers to walk _through_ the door. He caught a short glimpse of the hallway before a crack of thunder signaled a devastating shockwave that sent the Drode hurtling outside onto the driveway. "_Damn it!_ How the heck am I supposed to get _in_ then?!" the Drode swore angrily. 

**NO TRESPASSING.** a voice came from thin air, somewhat reminiscent the Drode's master, Crayak, but much less ominous. 

"Well then, _you_ tell me how to get your human!" the Drode sneered as he picked himself up and dusted himself off. Suddenly a loud thump came from the trunk of the small car sitting outside the garage. The Drode blinked and walked over to the small silver vehicle. "... Hello?" 

"Is somebody out there?" came a voice from inside the trunk. The Drode squinted an eye at the back of the car. 

"Perhaps," he replied as nonchalantly as possible. 

"Oh... well if anyone _is_ out there, would you mind popping the hood? I didn't realize my mom was going to be gone for a few _hours_ when I locked myself in," the voice added sheepishly. The Drode heard a muffled banging from inside. 

"I'll think about it," the Drode snickered. "But tell me, you wouldn't happen to know an _Ali_ around here, would you? 

A moment of silence passed inside the trunk before the voice replied. "Why?" it asked. 

"I'm going to kidnap her for a crazed maniac for no reason that is apparent to me. She might even be killed, or something _crazy_ like that," the Drode replied nonchalantly. 

"So-oooo, I imagine Ali would be pretty helpless in that kind of a situation, huh?" the voice remarked. 

"Pretty much," the Drode agreed. 

"Swee-eet! Okay, just open up this trunk and let's go!" the voice shouted, a violent struggle that rocked the small car began. 

"Oh, _this_ isn't ironic," the Drode remarked with a sneer as he crossed his arms. 

  
  
Rachel watched, only slightly confused, as the Drode popped the hood to the small gray car and a purple-haired girl climbed out. "Oka-aay..." she muttered. She was a little surprised as the Drode simply walked back up to them with the giggling girl, hardly more than five feet, skipping along behind him like some lovestruck puppy. She rose an eyebrow at the Drode who simply shrugged. 

"Again, not my decision," he replied. 

"Hi everybody! My name is Ali!" Ali shouted as she waved ecstatically at Rachel, Georgia, and the yet unconscious Steve. "Who are you guys?" 

"My name is Rachel and this is Georgia," Rachel replied, pointing a thumb at Georgia. 

"Hi..." Georgia said softly. 

"And who's that?" Ali asked, pointing to Steve. 

"Uh..." Rachel tried to remember. 

"Steve, I knocked him out for being an idiot," the Drode told her, giving a kick to Steve's ribs. 

"Oh... maybe you should un-knock him out now," Ali commented. The Drode shrugged, but didn't see any reason why not to. He snapped his fingers once and immediately Steve began to revive. 

"Uggh..." Steve groaned groggily as he struggled to get up. "I feel like I've been run over by a _semi_..." 

"Worse, you were knocked in the head by _him_," Rachel commented, pointing over to the Drode. 

"Aw Rachel, what a nice compliment," the Drode remarked sarcastically. 

Steve slowly looked over at the Drode and his jaw dropped. His eyes then went from groggy, to shocked, and then to almost unspeakable rage in only the span of a few seconds. "YOU!" he shouted before lunging at the Drode. The Drode looked slightly annoyed as he stepped to the side to dodge Steve's attack, and brought his fist quickly down to tap Steve again on the head as he passed by. Steve immediately collapsed. "Not my decision," he muttered in annoyance. 

"Aw, he wasn't very nice," Ali commented as she looked over the Drode's shoulder at the again unconscious body of Steve. The Drode flinched and leaped away from Ali. 

"Don't sneak up on me!" he yelled angrily. 

Rachel snorted. "Are we afraid of a little _girl_ Drode? Well _that's_ something to remember," she joked rottenly. 

"Hah, believe it or not, even _I_ have to watch my back in the territory of Crayak. There are plenty of backstabbers out there, just vying for my status. Call it survival instinct," the Drode told her haughtingly, standing up straight (3 ft. 4 in.) Rachel looked unbelievingly at him but let it go. 

"Drobe? Globe? What's your name?" Ali asked, adjusting her glasses. 

The Drode looked slightly disgusted by Ali, but tried not to cringe. "I am the Drode," he told her shortly. 

"_The_ Drode? So-ooo, does that mean when I talk to you I to say 'Hi _the_ Drode, or I say 'Hey _the_ Drode, how about a cup o' joe and some pie?' Or can I just call you _Drode_?" Ali asked, slightly hyper. 

The Drode began to develop a tick in his right eye. "I have an idea. How about you don't talk to me at all?" he said with a forced smile to Ali. 

"Oh, but I _have_ to talk to you!" she told the Drode good-naturedly. 

"No. No you don't," and with that the Drode tapped Ali on the head and she collapsed with a heap on top of Steve. The Drode then looked up at Rachel and Georgia. "Shall we go?" 

  
  
"I _thought_ you said you had to touch us all in order to transport us!" Rachel yelled at the Drode. The Drode simply grinned widely. 

"I lied. I am capable of that," the Drode smiled. Rachel miffed as the unconscious bodies of Ali and Steve lay side by side a good two feet away from the Drode. Much too far away to actually be _touched_ by him during transportation. 

Georgia simply cleared her throat and stayed off to the side. Around friends she might have made a loud joke, around her _other_ friends she might have said something worse. But at the moment, around such _strange_ people and having absolutely _no_ idea of what was going on, she just decided to stay quiet and compliant until someone told her why she had been basically kidnapped from her home. Maybe then she could take action... 

"Damn it, I am _so_ going to kick your-" Rachel screeched, as she began to stomp towards the Drode. The Drode put his weak arms up as if in defense, but a wide grin on his face spelled otherwise. 

"Oo, touchy, touchy. I suppose now you're going to make some ill-born insult about _prunes_ correct? You're too late. It's been done. A little overdone actually..." the Drode cackled. 

Rachel looked at the Drode in fierce hatred. _He_ was the cause of all this. He had taken her friends, and so she had quelled her temper for this long. But when he blatantly tried to anger her, he damn well better expect to deal with it! _He_ was the cause of all this. It was all his fault, the disgusting, evil, filthy, moral-less- 

The Drode narrowed his eyes, his wide, open-mouthed grin settling into a smug, thin-lipped smile. As if he was reading her very thoughts. Perhaps he was. And then he whispered, and to Rachel's surprise, she listened. "Do you really think I'm to blame for your mental anguish? For your despair? Oh yes, if you're feeling tortured, there's an easy answer isn't it? Feeling bad? Feeling like you need to rip the head off of something? Blame the Drode! I have to admit, I'm a pretty good scapegoat, eh? A good focal point for all that delicious hatred of yours, that rotten black core deep in your heart. Don't worry. I don't mind, I rather like the attention. Just remember, tearing my head off isn't going to solve your problems. It might make you feel better, but it won't get your friends back. You'll feel the wonderful feeling of victory and bloodthirstiness, and then your true self, your _evil_ self will grow a little more, and you'll go off looking for new victims to spew your frustration on. And I'll grow a new head." 

Rachel grew cold at the Drode's words, a tinge of doubt spreading throughout her mind. The rage which had been so fierce a moment ago had been whisked away, leaving only uncertainty. Rachel mulled over the Drode's words. Despite the foul speaker, he had a point. Killing the Drode would have no effect on her present situation, if anything it would make it a whole lot harder. After all, at least the Drode knew where he was _going_. She tried to ignore the part about the growing darkness inside of herself. Rachel forced herself to relax, but only slightly. 

The Drode, sensing Rachel's acceptance, grinned again and pointed off into the distance. "Now, if you ladies wish to be off." 

Rachel and Georgia, who had chosen to pretend as if she had not heard the conversation (though she had listened to every word intently), looked off in the direction the Drode was pointing in. They both gasped. Though, they had noticed that this place was not exactly normal, they had not really _seen_ it all with the distracting strife between Rachel and the Drode. 

It was tye-dyed. Not just the buildings or any part, but _everything_. The sky, the ground, all in different shades and densities and definitely color. While most objects, such as the buildings or what was defined as the ground, was similar to normal earth color, they were nonetheless tie-dyed. The ground was in greens, and blues, and browns of all shades-while the buildings were all sorts of corresponding colors. The sky was a riot of color, all the colors of the rainbow in millions of shades and varieties, ever-changing, twisting, and glimmering. And despite the abnormal colors of the rest of the world, white clouds still floated across the queer sky. Ordinary puffy, white clouds. 

It was a strange, beautiful, and disturbing sight from the hill the group was standing on. It was what the world would look like if a child had taken it and drawn all over it with a pack of gigantic crayons. 

"Weird..." Georgia commented, trying to draw in all the color. The Drode shrugged in response. 

"She's no innocent herself," he remarked. 

"What's that?" Rachel asked, turning to more business-like manners. The Drode looked and saw Rachel pointing towards a large labyrinth below them. The Drode glanced down and grinned. 

"You see that castle over there?" he asked, dipping his head towards the distance. Rachel looked in that direction, but shook her head. the Drode grinned wider. "Are you sure? It's there. It's that tiny gray dot, just over the horizon I believe." Rachel squinted again, and searched intently for a few moments, finally she found what she thought to be the tiny little gray dot that the Drode was talking about. Her eyes widened and the Drode nodded in knowing acknowledgement. "That's ri-ight," he said in a singsong voice. "And the only way to get there is by navigating the labyrinth." 

"But that's impossible! Nobody could get through that!" Georgia yelled in shock. The Drode shrugged. 

"She has a thing about solicitators," he replied. "And just in case any salesman actually acquired a _map_ of the thing, she set of a few dozen traps or so around it." 

"Like what?" Rachel asked, eyes studying the maze furtively. 

"Oh, quicksand, lasers, energy barriers, arrows, super glue... things like that," the Drode shrugged innocently. 

"Super glue?" Rachel asked, lifting an eyebrow. 

"Don't ask me. This isn't my idiot world," the Drode shrugged. 

"Well, I'd-" Rachel quickly glanced at Georgia before looking at the Drode. "I'd you-know-what in order to get over, but it'd be easier if you'd just do your little transportation trick. You can do _that_ much right?" 

The Drode grinned and flourishly bowed. "Your wish is my command." 

"Than I wish you would just shut the hell up," Rachel muttered under her breath. 

"Shut the door to my home? I can do that, but perhaps I should get you to the crazy woman's castle first, hm?" the Drode remarked, expertly twisting Rachel's words back against her. Rachel gave a sneer of disgust and the Drode gave a small chuckle before snapping his fingers. Rachel, Georgia, the Drode, and the unconscious bodies of Steve and Ali disappeared in a cloud of yellow smoke. 

A flash of color and then... 

  
  
Rachel blinked away spots as she looked around the supposedly 'dark' and 'dreary' castle. It wasn't as bad as she might have expected. Sure, there were plenty of fake gargoyles and gothic arches to go around, but the whole thing, the stones, the slabs, the statues, were clean of all cobwebs, everything looked very new. There was absolutely no dust in the air at all, and it smelled of fresh lemons for no apparent reason. 

Plus the whole chasm was brightly lit, not with torches, but rather with gigantic electric lights from the ceiling and sides, leaving no corner unlit. The gigantic red beanbag chair at the center of the room was quite apparent. 

"This guy really is crazy," Rachel murmured, taking it all in. 

"I decided to skip the rest of it and take you straight to the so-called throne room. It's all more idiocy anyway," the Drode comically yawned. He then cupped his narrow jaw and shouted out," Alright! I have taken care of your foolish task. I've collected the people you want. The Animorphs. The indecriptive faces. Maybe you'll do as well as to let me go about my business now?" 

A light mumble came from all around the room and both Georgia and Rachel searched with their eyes to find it, unsuccessfully. Rachel ventured a question. 

"Hey! Where are my friends? What did you do with them?!" she yelled angrily. A moment of silence passed before another mumble rolled passed, this time Rachel was sure she heard it coming from the beanbag chair. "Are you in that beanbag chair?" she asked incredulously. 

Several moments went by before a tuffled head popped out. "Eh?" it asked unsurely. It blinked, blinked again, and then blinked once more. Finally, some sort of fact must have occurred to it because it began to climb out of the giant beanbag chair, which was certainly a feat considering the chair was probably eight feet tall and even more wide. "Gimme sec," she mumbled as she struggled to pull herself free. 

"Who's that?" Rachel asked, hoping it wasn't who she thought it was. 

"Who do you think?" the Drode muttered. 

"God..." Rachel muttered in disbelief. 

The girl finally succeeded in pulling herself and her black robes free of the giant beanbag and jumped to the floor. Rubbing her eyes, she looked sleepily at the Drode and the rest, studying them without much interest. Coming to Ali and Steve, who were _still_ unconscious, she blinked and cocked her head sideways at the Drode. "I don't think I asked for them to be _dead_." The Drode shrugged. 

"They were causing me problems so I knocked them unconscious," he replied. 

"Oh... well you mind waking them up? I'd rather not go over this all again, and plus I need to get you all going before Melinda gets back. She's always on my back-" 

"On your back about what?" a rather indignant voice came from behind Rachel and the rest. Rachel, Georgia, and the Drode turned to face another girl, taller than the first but obviously younger. Rachel wondered where all these people got their fashion styles from. The dead and Cassie probably. 'Melinda' as the first had called her, wore a black shirt and baggy jeans, looking a bit punkish. Her long blond hair was done up in a pony tail. 

"About... _stuff_," the first hissed as she walked up from the beanbag chair to the small group. 

"Oooo, stuff. How vague. You want to embellish on _stuff?_" Melinda asked haughtingly. 

"No, not really. You want to know why? _Because my stuff is none of your business!_" the girl from the beanbag chair yelled angrily. 

"If it was none of my business I wouldn't be here. Unfortunately I _am_," Melinda informed her. "I am your assistant, don't forget it." 

"What kind of assistant are you? You don't do anything I tell you to!" the girl yelled in annoyance. 

"That's because I'm not stupid," Melinda shot back. "Now what are _these_ people doing here?" 

"Yeah, what are we doing here anyway? And what about my friends? Where are they?" Rachel yelled angrily. 

The girl in black robes seemed to cool down at Rachel's questions and smirked. "Ah yes, your friends, the Animorphs right? Well, they started to bug me, especially when I was trying to take a nap. Having almost unlimited power tends to tire you out pretty easily. So I sent them somewhere," the evil lady said, shrugging slightly. 

"Sent them _somewhere?_" Rachel asked. 

"I love how you are apparently _unable_ to give a straight answer," Melinda remarked sarcastically. 

"_You_ shut up," the girl told Melinda sharply. 

"Well wherever they are, bring them back now!" Rachel yelled, "I won't ask twice!" The Drode snorted at that comment and Rachel glared at him angrily. 

She shrugged, but conceded. "Yeah, I guess. They need to be here for this anyway." With that her eyes glimmered, flashed, and the Animorphs suddenly appeared in battlemorph right behind her. "There we go," she said grinning. 

We're back here again,> Jake observed after a moment of silence. Good, I don't know how much longer we could have survived that. Is everybody alright? he called to the rest of the team. Jake was limping in tiger morph, Rachel peered closely and saw he was missing a forepaw. 

Rachel! Cassie cried in a ravaged wolf-form. I was just taking care of a few animals when suddenly the Drode appeared- 

"Yeah, I know. The same thing happened to me," Rachel nodded, she turned angrily to the evil person. "What happened?" 

"Well, I'm not specific... I guess I accidentally sent you to a hostile planet. Sorry about that, glad you survived. I hate resurrecting people," she nodded nonchalantly. 

Sorry? _Sorry?_ We were nearly _killed!_ I mean this was supposed to be my day off. I wasn't planning to go off fighting a _planet_ of monsters! Maybe watch some TV, catch up on a few video games, go on a date, Marco yelled as he began to demorph from a deep chest wound to his gorilla morph. 

"_Now_ you're going overboard," Rachel snorted. 

"Point is, I was not expecting the Drode to show up in my bathroom while I was taking a shower!" Marco yelled angrily. The Drode scoffed. 

"Please, if you're angry about me interrupting your little _concert_ hall, let me tell you I wasn't interrupting much of anything," the Drode snorted. 

"My little _what?_" Marco blanched. 

"Oh you know, what was that song? What? 'I'm a' what?" the Drode comically tried to remember. Marco kept quiet, his cheeks turning a bright red. The Drode grinned wider. "Come on now, 'I'm a' ... it started with a 'B'" 

"Shut up Drode," Rachel said angrily. 

"Oo, Rachel, standing up for _Marco_ of all people? And here I thought you were hooked up with bird-boy. Where is he anyway?" the Drode asked sarcastically. 

With that alarming thought Rachel looked up and around for Tobias. "Tobias? Tobias where are you?!" 

Right here, came a tired reply. Rachel looked and saw Tobias laying in Ax's arms, feathers ruffled and torn, and on a closer look, a wing was severely broken. 

"Tobias! Are you alright?" Rachel cried in alarm. 

One of the creatures who attacked us reached up and hit Tobias out of a dive. It was very fast, Ax told Rachel, cradling Tobias carefully. 

It's no big deal. Just glad we got out of there when we did. Set me down Ax, I'll morph, Tobias said to Ax as he tried to calm Rachel down. Ax set Tobias to the ground who quickly morphed and demorphed back to hawk. 

Georgia took a step back, arms shaking, eyes wide, her face pale. It couldn't be. Could it? "The-The-" 

The Drode glanced at her, blinked, and then smirked. He put a finger to his lips and signaled Georgia to keep silent. 

Georgia looked at the Drode, her face a mixture of fear... and hate. "A-Are they-?" 

"Might want to keep quiet about that. But yes, yes they are," the Drode replied, whispering. He glanced towards Rachel. Luckily she was too upset over Tobias to notice anything. The other Animorphs had demorphed and were too far way to hear. At least with the Drode around they were. The evil one who had forced the Drode's help had begun to fight with Melinda about some unknown, yet probably frivolous detail, and was too occupied to even notice. Not only that, but the Drode knew she probably already knew and didn't care. And, of course, Steve and Ali were still unconscious. "They are the so-called 'Andalite bandits', obviously except for Aximili, they are not. But I'd keep that under my bucket hat if I were you, you're only one yeerk, in a teenaged body, and I know for a fact that your dracon beam is at this child's home buried deep in her junk drawer. They are _5_ teenaged beings, an adolescent andalite, all seasoned warriors with the power to morph. Not very good odds, eh?" 

Georgia nodded absently. They were not good odds as the yeerk inside withdrew to calculate. Her best chance would be to keep playing the girl until she could escape... _somehow_, and return to Visser 3 to report these so called "andalite bandits". But how long could she keep it up? The yeerk worried about that point, she had fed on kadrona rays yesterday, that meant only two days left until she needed to feed again... or die. If she couldn't escape and reach a yeerk pool before that... 

"I wouldn't worry about that for now," the Drode advised. "I'd worry about them." The Drode pointed a thumb back to the animorphs. He shrugged, "Besides, I'm sure the beast who dragged me here is more than informed about your 'condition'. She'll probably give you some form of sustenance when the time comes... or she might let you die. I don't know." The Drode chuckled softly and Georgia involuntarily shivered. Was that the yeerk shivering from fear? Or the real Georgia from sheer delight? It was hard to tell. To the Drode either way was fine, a master's greatest nightmare, or a slave's dream to murder, it was all the same to him. _Wonderful_. 

"Why are we here?" a forceful voice called out. All looked up, Jake's voice demanded to be listened to. 

The girl looked up from fighting with Melinda. She had won, but only because at some point she had become angry enough to turn Melinda into a very large and warty toad. Melinda was now fiercely trying to get back at the other by rubbing up against her and causing her a rash, unfortunately the 'evil' person's black robes were very hard to get under. 

"Yeah, I guess we should be getting to that by now," she agreed. She looked over at the unconscious bodies of Steve and Ali, and then looked up at the Drode. "Hey, I told you before, I need those guys up." 

The Drode shrugged. "Yes, alright. But if you mind, I'm not going to be here when they are, understand?" 

"Afraid that guy is going to attack you again?" Rachel asked sarcastically. 

"No. I'm afraid _she's_ going to attack me," the Drode informed. He quickly snapped his fingers and disappeared from existance. 

"Uggh, Where am I?" Steve groaned as he got up. 

"Ditto to that. And who are all of you? And what's with that blue-deer-thing? And why's that frog trying to hump your leg?" Ali agreed. 

Steve suddenly remembered what happened and turned red. "That slimy _prune!_ Where is that guy?! I am going to kick his ass for kidnapping me!" 

"Kidnapping?" Ali asked in confusion. 

"Woah, a girl who's _shorter_ than me. Nice," Marco commented. "Purple hair and seemingly crazy, but... that height." 

"Aw, thanks! Don't forget my glasses," Ali grinned widely. 

"Yeah, sure," Marco shrugged. 

"Okay, okay. Now that I've got you all here. There's some stuff we need to go over before getting started. First off, like I said before, no omnipotency-" the evil person began to speak. 

"When did you say anything about omnipotency?" Cassie asked in confusion. 

"Oh, heh," the evil person said, grinning goofily. She adjusted her glasses. "Sorry about that, another life I guess. Anyway, I guess you don't know everybody here," she said, shrugging. She pointed to the Animorphs. "Those are the Animorphs, they go around and fight aliens and stuff. That's Georgia," she went on to say as she pointed to Georgia. "She likes swimming-heh-in pools-heh heh. That's Ali," she went on again, pointing to Ali. "Uh... she's got purple hair." She pointed to Steve. "That's Steve." She blinked. "Sorry Steve." 

"For what? The guy who's _supposed_ to be apologizing to me isn't even here," Steve said angrily. 

"... Yeah... but if you're talking about the Drode, a.k.a. the short prune-like dinosaur... thing, he's around somewhere. I'll force him here when I need him. Anyway, that's Melinda," she said, pointing to Melinda who was still trying to attack her as a toad. 

"That cute little frog?" Ali asked. 

"For one thing. It isn't a frog... it's a toad. For another, if she doesn't stop _peeing all over my robe I'm going to turn her into something worse. Like ROADKILL!_" the evil person yelled angrily. Immediately Melinda hopped off her black robes. 

Ax asked. 

"Who? Me? Hm... well, you may call me the Evil OverLord of... everything," the Evil OverLord of Everything grinned brightly. 

How can you be lord of everything. Space is far too vast! Ax contradicted fiercely. 

"Look, that's not the point. It's my _title_. Alright?" the Evil OverLord told him in annoyance. 

Yes, but a title should be true to the person who wields it. You are far too- Ax went on. 

"Ax, drop it," Jake said, interrupting Ax. He looked stonily down at the Evil OverLord, who, while not as short as Ali was, was no giant herself. "Uh... OverLord, we just want to know why you brought us here. What's the point?" 

"Getting to that. Now, let me just tell you. I'm pretty powerful. I'm the overlord, the _Evil_ overlord. And as any overlord, I have a certain amount of territory to protect," the OverLord began. 

Just how much territory are we talking are we talking about here? Tobias asked with a hawk cry from above, he was circling the room, but without any thermals he was tiring. The OverLord looped her hand over and a red-tailed hawk-sized perch burst up from the floor near the Animorphs. Tobias swooped down and alighted upon it. Thanks. 

"Welcome. As for my territory, about 30 billion light years," the OverLord said shrugging. 

How vast, it would take thousands of years travel in Z-space for anyone to reach that far... Ax mentally gasped in awe. 

"Eh," the Evil OverLord said, shrugging in response. "Considering the universe is infinite and ever expanding, you have to understand that 30 billion light years isn't much compared to the entirety of it all. There will always be parts of the universe even _I_ will never be able to reach." 

Georgia was as awestruck as Ax. So much of the universe ready for conquest, but would never see it because of sheer distance. 

"But anyway, like I was saying, I have a lot territory to protect. And it just happens to be that my boundary lies just off of Earth," the OverLord told them. 

"Just how far off of Earth?" Rachel asked. 

"A couple light years off your solar system. I figured you needed a little space so I traded in a couple suns to buy it up. You can thank me later. The yeerk and andalite homeworlds are in my territory just to let you know too," the Overlord mentioned, looking at Ax, and giving a quick glance to Georgia. "So like I was saying, a bit further, maybe 600 light years up the river so to speak, is another planet, called Changarie. It's inhabited by a sentient race. And I kind of like their planet. It's my vacation spot actually. But right now it's being attacked... by a race over on the other side of my territory." 

"Yeah... so?" Marco asked. "Why don't you just go fight them off or something? I thought you had all this great power!" 

"Yeah... well. You see, if it had been a race from _my_ side, I wouldn't feel like I would have to do something to stop them. Except for the fact that it's my vacation spot. There are a few rules to being Overlord of course. For instance, I can't _help_ a race from a separate planet take over another planet in my territory. But I'm not required to stop them. But since this is a race from a _different_ territory, I am still able to stop them and I _do_ feel compelled to..." 

"That doesn't explain why you can't fight them off yourself," Cassie pointed out. 

"Yeah, but since I'm the Evil Overlord of this territory, in doing so I would signal to the Evil OverLord of the _other_ territory that I'm declaring universal _war_ against him. But if I just send a few minor heros from my side discretely..." 

"You can fight off the other side without getting yourself in trouble," Jake finished. 

"Exactly," OverLord grinned. 

"But wait, what's in it for _us_?" Marco suddenly broke in. The others shot him surprised looks at his greed, but he simply shrugged. "I just want to see." 

"Well, let's put it this way. Earth is basically on the edge of my territory. If war is declared between my territory and the next, your planet will be one of the first to be utterly wiped out. Not cool, right?" OverLord informed Marco. 

"... not cool," Marco agreed. 

"Of course, I _could_ go find someone else. There are plenty of stronger people than you guys..." 

Tobias asked. 

Yes, it would make sense to use your most powerful warriors against an invasion, Ax agreed. 

"Nuh-uh. I can't make it obvious. If I make it obvious, he'll take that as a signal of war too. Can't do that," OverLord said shaking her head. She then narrowed her eyes at the Animorphs, frowning slightly, "However, I do have a few consequences, just in case you decide to pull out anyway..." 

"What are you going to do? Destroy our planet?" Steve asked sarcastically. 

"But that's where all my Invader Zim memorabilia is!" Ali cried. 

OverLord blinked and shook her head. "No, OverLord rules, and plus, why would I destroy a planet I already own? No, but I can do something far worse... Like I said, I can't help an _alien_ race to take over a planet. However, Earth is one of the rare planets with _two_ separate sentient races. The humans... and the _Nartec_." 

"You'll help the Nartec to take over the planet?!" Cassie cried in disbelief. 

OverLord shrugged. "Yup. No rule against helping a home race retake it's planet. In fact it's encouraged." 

The Nartec. The blue amphibious people, with nectarines for eyes. The Animorphs had met them before at the bottom of the ocean... and had barely escaped alive. From what they had said, their ancestors had been human, but over time evolution had adapted them to under water living. They were strong in the water, but faced with dry land they were horribly weak. However though, with their gene pool under attack from severe inbreeding, they would do anything to retake the Earth. _Anything._

Jake and the rest of the Animorphs looked grim. "Then I guess we have no choice then," Jake finally concluded after a moment of silence. 

"W-wait a moment! I'm getting a little confused here. Who are the Nartec? And what am I doing here?" Steve asked, breaking in to the serious moment. 

OverLord looked over at them and blinked. "Oh yeah, _you_ guys. You guys don't know anything do you? Yeah, I remember. You three, Steve, Ali, and Georgia, are especially needed." 

"Why? I already know I'm special, but why do you need us?" Ali asked, cocking her purple-haired head sideways. 

"I'm not telling you. You guys can figure it out for yourselves. If I told you that would ruin the whole point of being special, wouldn't it? On another note, you all get special powers. Cool, right?" OverLord mentioned brightly. 

"Wait. What kind of special powers?" Georgia asked. 

"Cool! Super powers! Wow! What do I get??" Ali asked excitedly. 

"I'm not telling you that either. Let's just say they'll depend on your situation. Okay? When they happen, they'll happen," Overlord told her. She then looked over at Melinda who was still in toad form. "Unlike _you_." 

Jake sighed. "Let's get this over with then, I doubt you're going to give us time to get supplies, right?" 

OverLord nodded. "Exactly. The sooner you start the better." She then looked up and around. "Yo! Drode! Get your butt down here, I need you!" A sigh seemed to come out of nowhere. 

Can you tell us about the invading aliens please? And you mentioned a sentient race on this planet Changarie. Can you tell us what they look like? I wouldn't want to accidentally take the head off a peaceful alien, Ax asked politely. 

"Yeah, I guess there are a few things you should know. Changarians are easy to recognize. They look a lot like humans... a _lot_ like humans heh... The invading aliens I think are called... the Cro--aahh... uh..." 

"_Croak!_" Melinda burbled. 

"The Croake! Thanks Melinda! I always knew you were worth something," OverLord grinned brightly at the toad. Melinda growled lowly, which as a toad was pretty impressive. OverLord then got serious. "Just remember, the Croake of course don't know about me or their overlord. Understand. And he's probably watching them right as we speak. He knows just as well as I do that they shouldn't be there, I don't know why he hasn't bothered stopping them. But I don't want to risk confrontation. So whatever you do, _don't mention me._ Do and you will be dead before you even know it, first casualties of an outergalactic war. Get me?" 

Yeah, we get you, Tobias replied, staring with fierce hawk eyes at OverLord. 

"Good. About the Croake though. They're all about peace. Okay?" Overlord mentioned. 

"What do you mean about peace? I thought they were attacking this planet," Cassie asked in confusion. 

"Exactly, you'll figure it out when you get there. I just thought I should mention it so you don't get confused... or anything," OverLord told them. With that she stared into space, into another life, into- 

"What are you looking at?" Marco asked. 

"Huh? Sorry. Nothing of importance to you," OverLord told him with a flash of a smile. 

"You know, as an _evil_ overlord, you really haven't impressed me," Marco remarked in an unimpressed voice. 

"That's why it's just a _title_," OverLord reminded him. She blinked and looked around the room. "Okay. The Drode has _not_ heeded my call in the last minute. Okay." She then raised a hand and seemed to yank some sort of invisible cord. Suddenly the Drode appeared in front of the Animorphs, looking very pissed. 

"Damnit. I _don't_ want to be here!" he hissed angrily. 

OverLord shrugged. "I _don't_ care. I got some transfer work for you to do. I can't have my energy signal being recognized." The Drode groaned in annoyance. 

Steve went red. "You! I'm going to kill you!" 

"Hey! It's that weird guy who brought me here! Hi _the_ Drode!" Ali grinned happily as she waved to the Drode. 

The Drode looked at both of them for a long moment before glaring at OverLord. "I suppose I have no choice in the matter, correct?" OverLord nodded in response. "Alright. I'll do it. But _after_ I'm through, I'm not sticking around. Understand?" OverLord shrugged unhappily, but nodded. "Good." He looked at the others. "Okay, let's go. Sooner you're there, sooner I'm gone." 

"One thing that bugs me though," Rachel said. 

"Hm?" OverLord replied, looking startled at Rachel. 

"Before the Drode told me merely looking at you would kill me. I'm not dead yet," Rachel remarked, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at OverLord. OverLord snorted. 

"If I was in my _real_ form. This is just a shell, a husk, a way so that you won't die from trying to process what I really am. Now go away. You got work to do. You have to drive away the Croake. You're bugging me." OverLord responded as she crossed her arms and shooed Rachel away with one hand. 

"Is everybody ready?" the Drode asked, glancing from left to right. 

"No-" Marco began to say. 

"Good!" the Drode interrupted. He snapped his fingers and they disappeared in a puff of multi-colored rainbow smoke. 

OverLord blinked and looked at the charmed Melinda. "Well _that_ was a close one. I'll tell you, that Rachel's a smart one." Melinda growled angrily. 

  
  
Yes! Chapter two! Not only is it very good, but it's also very long! The longest thing I've ever done! I'm looking at my print preview! HUGE!!! Love it. *coughs* I suppose I should make a few apologies though. *Ahem* Sorry Super Hurricane. I knocked Steve out for much of the story. _I_ thought it was funny, but you probably thought I was ripping you off. It was a stupid gag joke and I'm very sorry. (But I still think it was funny) As for Ali being knocked out... I didn't think you would mind. 

I'm also very sorry to Jinako-Chan. Yes, I realize you said absolutely nothing about being yeerked. On another note you didn't say anything about _not_ being yeerked. *looks sheepish and cheap* I did it to add interest. And plus I didn't want the story to get off track from where it came from. It came from the Animorphs. Animorphs fight the yeerks. The yeerks are very important to the storyline of Animorphs. So therefore I needed a yeerk to remind people that this _was an Animorph story_. Oh sure, it might not have a whole lot of yeerk fighting and Visser 3 (or 1 for anyone who excepted that) and junk, but I needed a yeerk to remind people and to balance the story. On another note, It'll add interest to your character, Georgia. I'll be able to write more about her and she will be more involved in the storyline. That's cool, right? it wasn't anything personal that I chose your character, I just simply couldn't turn the only new guy (not including Tim who hasn't shown up yet) in the story into a controller and Ali was much too crazy to be a controller. Basically, you were my best choice. Sorry 'bout that. 

To everybody, Bookworm, and Pheophins, your characters will show up in the next chapter. I just simply couldn't make this chapter any longer without losing the 'interactiveness' of it all. Okay? Hope you understand, but I can't make everybody a spontaneous character. Some people just have to show up later to make the story somewhat realistic. 

At that note of realism... anybody figure out who the Evil OverLord of Everything is yet? *grins widely* Heh heh... 

**TO BE CONTINUED...**


	3. Chapter 3

**NON-INTERACTIVE 6.0!!!!**  
(It's so NOT interactive it's... non-interactive)   
  
Created by: Super Hurricane, Pheophins, Rachel9466, Jinako-Chan, Alikat, Bookworm, Snow_bliz, ... other people when I decide to use their ideas... oh yeah, and ME!!! T.B. Stormshot! 

Well here we are at chapter three... it's pretty cool I guess... and Bookworm and Pheophins' characters show up... and I can move on to my next story... hm... anyway, this story is now officially NON-interactive, meaning you can't officially give me any ideas. _However_, you can always e-mail me _un_official ideas at Shiftywind1984@msn.com. I will always except those. Read and Review! 

Disclaimer: The Animorphs are cool... you think if I saved K.A. Applegate's life she would give them to me?   
  


* * *

  
  
The Animorphs, Georgia, Steve, Ali, and the Drode appeared in what looked to be a bright green forest. A normal bright green forest. Trees, grass, flowers. The singing of birds and buzzing of insects hit their ears. It was warm, but not humid, a perfect spring day. 

It's Earth, Tobias said after a moment of silence. 

"Why'd you bring us back here?" Georgia asked. "I thought we were going to that planet, Changarie." 

"Yes, it does look a lot like Earth doesn't it? But believe me, it isn't. In fact it's a whole lot _worse_. In my opinion of course." the Drode smirked as he waved off-handedly to the world around. 

"But it has to be Earth. Look at all the trees, the flowers. That's a squirrel!" Rachel pointed out as a familiar animal ran up a tree that seemed to be an oak. 

"It's not Earth," Cassie said firmly. The others looked at her in surprise. 

"Why do you say that Cassie? It looks like Earth to me," Jake asked. 

"For one thing, I don't think the Drode has any reason to lie-" 

The Drode snorted. "As if having a _reason_ has anything to do with lying..." 

"As for another, just look around you. Doesn't everything seem a little off? Everything a little _too_ perfect? If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was a warm spring day, but look at those flowers. They look like black-eyed susans, but black-eyed don't appear till late summer. And all these trees around us... they're oaks. Up to that point," Cassie pointed out over to a few yards away," then suddenly there aren't any oaks. Those trees over there are all _maples_" 

"So?" Steve snorted. "A tree's a tree." 

"No, I think I'm starting to get what Cassie's saying. Everything is all sort of in an order. It _looks_ like it's just ordinary wilderness, but I think we're seeing a pattern... Look at those flowers, those black-eyed whatevers Cassie pointed out," Marco told the others as he pointed to a patch of black-eyed susans under a tree. "Those flowers, they seem all over the place, but if you look closely, you'll notice they only show up in bunches, in a crossing pattern. It's all planned out." 

"It looks like Earth though. You think they have malls like on Earth? It'd be cool to see if they have a Hot Topic or something," Ali commented. 

"Well, maybe not a Hot Topic, but definitely an Old Navy, or a Banana Republic," Rachel agreed. 

"No clothes for me. But I wouldn't mind checking out the video games. And I'm sure the Ax-man here wouldn't mind an alien cinnabun," Marco added, elbowing Ax who stood behind him. 

Are they more tasty than human cinnabuns? Ax wondered out loud. 

"Oh, this is fun. _'I just landed on an alien planet. Let's talk about clothes',"_ the Drode remarked sarcastically, and rather angrily. The usual snide carelessness he usually tried to portray gone. "I suppose before you battle you argue about shoes too? Interesting way to start a life-or-death mission." 

"Shut up!" Rachel yelled angrily. 

"Hey, don't you have somewhere to go, _prune?_" Steve asked in annoyance. 

"Oh my," the Drode replied in a mock-shocked tone, clutching his chest as though shot. "Prune! _Prune!_ How shocking! How painful! How _original!_" Steve growled and took a step towards the Drode, but the Drode hopped backwards and grinned. "Relax. I'm going, I'm sure you have no need of me. But a word of advice before I leave." 

"We don't need your advice Drode," Jake stated firmly. 

"Oh, really Jake, the _yeerk_ killer?" the Drode asked, looking over Jake's shoulder at Georgia. He gave a personal grin that Georgia knew was meant for her. "Well too bad. You're going to get it anyway. All I have to say is: Don't. Screw. Up." 

And here I thought you loved destruction Drode, Tobias mention from is perch in a nearby tree. 

"True, true. I _do_ love destruction. But not when it threatens the great Crayak... or _me_ for that matter. A planet here or there. The mass of the galaxy being wiped out. It's all good. At the third-dimensional level. But you have to understand that this-_this_ situation, it's at another level entirely. Higher than Crayak. Higher than the Ellimist. More powerful. More restrictions. But one thing is for certain, if an attack happens, they'll wipe out all the lower dimensions, including the one I live in. Just remember there are a _lot_ of lives riding on this little mission of yours, and while I don't care about any of them, one of them is _mine._" the Drode told them, making eye contact with all of them with his own cat-like eyes. 

Rachel thought of that, her lips pressed firmly at that thought. This mission was more serious than any other they had ever taken on. More serious than any against Visser 3. More serious than even the games between the Ellimist and Crayak. Even _if_ the person they were working for was a complete wacko. 

"Why are we here?" Jake asked, the rest looked up at him in confusion, but saw a very serious glitter in his eyes as he looked at the Drode. 

"To play the game _Crayak and the Ellimist_ have laid out for you. Save the planet from the invading space aliens, win a prize so to speak. That's what happened. Don't forget," the Drode told them seriously before disappearing in a poof of white smoke. Jake looked, thin-lipped, at the others. 

"You heard him. This is all a game between the Ellimist and Crayak. That is _all_ it is," he told them firmly. The others nodded in understanding. Most of them. 

"Wait, I thought that-" Ali started to say. 

"It was the Ellimist," Jake said firmly. 

"But I thought she said her name was-" 

"_No. It was the Ellimist_," Jake repeated, staring daggers at Ali. 

"Um, okay. Whatever you say," Ali said, looking slightly confused. 

"So uh... what now?" Steve asked uncertainly. 

"Uh, well I guess we go save this planet. Where are all the people though?" Jake asked as he looked around, "The uh... what were they called?" 

The Changarians, Prince Jake, Ax reminded. 

"Right, the Changarians. And Ax," Jake started to say. 

Yes Prince Jake? Ax asked. 

"Don't call me prince." 

Yes Prince Jake, Ax confirmed. 

Steve suddenly shivered. "Whoa, I don't know what that was..." 

"Huh?" Rachel asked as she looked over at the poorly dressed boy. 

"I just get this feeling that someone is coming," Steve said uncertainly. 

"Jitters, it probably isn't anything," Rachel snorted. 

"No, wait. Didn't the, uh, Ellimist say something about super powers?" Cassie suddenly asked. "That could be it." 

"Tobias! Take a look around!" Jake shouted, shooting a glance over at Tobias. 

Already on it Jake, Tobias responded in a flurry of feathers. With a couple swipes of his wings he was soon high in the air. Geez, it's forest everywhere I look, but it's like Cassie said, all patches. I don't see anybody-Wait! We have two people coming over here! Should be here in 10 or 12 minutes. It's strange though... 

What is strange Tobias? Ax asked for the group. 

They look human. _Exactly_ like humans. If I didn't know better I'd say they were! 

"Well, the _Ellimist_ did say the changarians looked human. It must be them," Cassie said slowly. 

"Ax, if they're coming right for us, what do you think? You think we should tell them about our situation?" Jake asked as he glanced over at the young andalite. Ax looked thoughtful for a moment before responding. 

I do not believe so. They may be peaceful, but telling them of our situation may cause unforeseen problems in the future. I believe we should remain as discrete as possible. We can't put ourselves at risk, the andalite said, shrugging as he did so. Jake nodded understandingly. 

"Then I want you and Tobias to go human. If these changarians look as human as Tobias says they do, then we should be able to blend in," Jake ordered as he looked up towards the sky. Ax relayed the message to Tobias and Tobias wheeled down to the ground. Immediately Ax and Tobias began to change, to morph into their human forms. 

A unified gasp came from the behind the Animorphs as Steve and Ali looked at the morphing pair. Jake and the rest remembered that they had not been awake when they had arrived and demorphed at OverLord's castle. 

"Oh my God!" Steve shouted in a shocked voice. 

"Cool!" Ali squealed. 

"I guess we should explain..." Jake said, looking at the two. Quickly he recapped the invasion of planet Earth and the morphing power, Ax letting him know as the minutes ticked by. "... and so we are fighting the yeerks, we're pretty much the only thing that stands between them and the domination of Earth." 

"Whoa... that is not exactly very comforting," Steve said, sucking air through his teeth as he tried to digest the information. 

"You're not the first to say that," Jake replied grimly. 

"That is so... _awesome!_" Ali grinned. The other Animorphs looked at her in surprise. "I mean, I always _knew_ my English teacher was an alien! Nobody would believe me!" 

"Gee, I wonder why," Marco commented sarcastically. 

"I do too," Ali agreed. 

Georgia said nothing while listening to Jake's story. So the Animorphs had come to be of Elfangor. Aximili's big brother. Visser 3's most hated enemy who had crash landed on Earth. He had been alone for only a few minutes on Earth, but in those few minutes had bore the most painful thorn in Visser 3's side. The so-called "andalite bandits." Otherwise known as the Animorphs. 

"Prince Jake, they are almost here," Ax informed the Animorphs. 

"Okay, um, try and act... Changarian," Jake told the group. 

"Yeah, alright. Except _what the heck does a changarian act like??!"_ Marco yelled. 

"Just shut up and don't say anything!" Rachel snapped. That was all anyone had time to say before two people came into view. 

"Hey! You people!" a voice shouted. The Animorphs looked over at the speaker. Afraid to say anything that might sound non-changarian. He seemed to be a teenager, like the Animorphs. Maybe 15 and was fairly tall, almost 6 feet. 

"Great, another guy to make me feel short," Marco muttered in annoyance. 

"Shut up," Rachel whispered. 

"Yeah Marco, besides, I'll always be there to make you look tall!" Ali said brightly. Marco sighed unhappily. 

Finally the two changarians caught up to the Animorphs. The first who had spoken was apparently male and looked exactly like a normal teenage boy, even his clothes were similar. Baggy jeans, a white shirt, and an apparently leather jacket. They had slightly different cuts and a different style but still looked very much like their Earth-counterparts. The only thing that really separated him from humans was his odd hairstyle. Long on top and bangs, but short everywhere else. Rachel grimaced. 

"This area is restricted! An herbavorial virus has been detected in this area. We need to quarantine this section!" the boy said, looking down on the Animorphs. 

"Says who?" Steve growled. The Animorphs, especially Jake, shot him angry looks and Steve subdued under the pressure of so many eyes. The changarian looked surprised. 

"Well haven't you heard? Those _aliens_ are doing this! After we resisted them, they tried to attack, but our energy barriers were too advanced for their technology. So they started dropping _viruses._ All civilians are being called back to the cities, we can't risk anybody being affected by whatever those filthy _aliens_ might try to do," the boy said firmly. 

Rachel snorted. "Well what are _you_ doing here then?" She crossed her arms as Jake gave her a menacing look, unlike Steve however, she simply returned it with one of her own. 

"Well, I, uh..." the boy stammered. 

"He is not supposed to be here. But when I was returning him to the City for wandering outside, I received your DNA signatures and brought him along to get you. It isn't safe to be in this area of the park anymore. I doubt it is safe in _any_ park anymore," the second changarian informed her. The Animorphs all turned to assess this new speaker. She seemed to be female. Older than the boy, maybe early twenties. She too was wearing Earth-like clothes, black shorts and t-shirt, as well as a highly-durable pair of white tennis shoes. Dark brown hair was pulled back into a much more conservative french braid. 

"Who are you?" Cassie asked after looking over the speakers. They too seemed perfectly normal to her, though she still kept an eye out for any distinguishing traits. 

"My name is Timolieanjigorian, my forename is Tim. But more importantly, who are _you?_ the boy asked suspiciously. "Nobody could be _that_ stupid, wandering outside when those _aliens_ are dropping viruses all over us!" 

"I believe your counterpart here said that _you_ were wandering outside," Ax informed Tim, raising an eyebrow at the boy. 

"Well, I, uh..." Tim stammered. 

"Huh, now who would be _that_ stupid. Wandering about with all sorts of lethal viruses being dropped..." Marco snorted. 

"Hey-!" Tim began to retort, the woman cut him off. 

"We have no time for this Tim. We have to get back to the city before they seal it off, "she informed him. 

"Alright..." Tim muttered. "But this time I'm going to shape-shift, if it's so important to get back, it'd be faster flying." The woman seemed to grimace at this prospect. 

"I will need some help then. I'm afraid I was born... disadvantaged," the woman said, looking slightly off the the side. 

"Wait, you mean you can't shape-shift?" Tim asked in surprise. "Oh! Well, I... uh." Tim looked slightly disgusted, though he tried to hide it. "I guess that makes you, um..." 

"I am handicapped. But I'm not helpless," the woman said, narrowing her eyes meaningfully. "Don't forget that Tim." Tim looked uncomfortable. 

Cassie looked at Jake, lips pressed firmly. Jake nodded, if these changarians were naturally shape-shifters, then perhaps it would be even _easier_ getting by. Especially if they could use their morphing powers in a fight. 

"Well let's get going then!" Rachel said, stepping up from the Animorphs. "I'd rather _do_ something then sit around here talking about it. 

"Yeah! Me too!" Tim agreed, looking relieved as the woman released her stare. He immediately began to shape-shift, not at all like the Animorph's own morphing powers however though. His change was fluid and quick, almost artistic a way. In mere moments he was a strange animal that none of the Animorphs had seen before. It was a brightly colored bird, it varied in shades of blue, purple, and green. Eight wings burst from the sides with wild colors, while a long bright red tail slid out in the back. Instead of a beak however, a long, hollow, needle-like tube slid out in its place, like a mosquito's, only much, much bigger. Three bulbous green eyes surrounded the tube. he shouted out in thought-speak. He turned around on three red legs to look at the rest. you guys can carry _her_.> 

The woman looked closely at Tim before calling out, "Straighten up your foreleg Tim, it's too long. And your left wings are too short. Tim quickly adjusted his wings and feet. 

Thanks, now I'm ready! Tim said again. 

Jake pressed his lips together and glanced over at Cassie. Cassie shrugged. "Alright," Jake started. "But we... shape-shift a little differently." 

"Whatever, just get going!" Tim said impatiently, making a sucking noise from his needle like tube. 

"Wait a minute! What about us?" Georgia asked from the back of the group, she, or rather the yeerk, had kept quiet, observing the rest and how they reacted. 

"They can't morph Jake," Tobias reminded him, stepping up to stare at Jake fiercely. 

"Morph?" the woman asked incredulously. "That means shape-shift, correct?" 

"Yeah," Tobias said, turning his head with a quick bird-like motion to stare at the woman. 

Oh no! _more_ people to slow us down! Tim wailed. 

"It's alright. Cassie, what do you suggest?" Jake asked. Cassie looked thoughtful for a moment before replying. 

"Horses. As long as they don't mind getting bruised," Cassie recommended. 

"Okay, you, me, Rachel, and Marco can go horse and carry them," Jake said, nodding. 

"And what about me?" Ax asked. 

"Andalite's are pretty fast," Jake shrugged. 

"Ah," Ax said understandingly. 

"I guess I'll just demorph back to hawk then," Tobias muttered as he and the rest of the Animorphs began to morph rapidly. 

Oh my _god!_ Tim cried out in a shocked tone as the Animorph began to morph. The changarian woman also was surprised, but expertly managed to keep her face straight. The Animorph own way of shape-shifting was nothing like Tim's, their method had absolutely nothing fluid about it. As the Animorphs changed to horses, things happened at random and suddenly. Marco's nose bulged out first while Rachel's hands and feet turned into hooves. Jake's body had elongated, his spine suddenly changing shape has he fell to the ground. Cassie, the most talented of the group, managed to control her morph with some strange element of beauty, growing the horse hair all over her body first, as long as the mane and tail. Tobias dwindled back to hawk, a mass of feathers and talons. Ax's demorph was similar to the Animorphs, up to the four feet, however that was where the similarities ended, otherwise he was a growing mass of blue fur where the Animorphs mostly had brown, and with two eyestalks on top of his head and a gigantic scorpion-like tail growing, he was certainly different. That is so sick! Tim commented in a sickened tone. When you said you shape-shifted differently, I thought you meant like slower or something. Not like _that!_ I've never seen anyone shape-shift like that... what kind of animals are those? Are they from the South? Tim asked, trying to get over the disturbing sight of four perfectly normal changarians shape-shifting into, into _monsters_, he hoped he would never end up like that. 

Yeah, sure, Marco said in thought-speak, tossing back his mane with a whicker. From the South. Now how about you tell me where _that_ came from. That thing you are has to be the saddest looking thing I've ever seen. Jake looked angrily at Marco, even as a horse, and the rest of the Animorphs had the distinct impression that a very intense, private conversation was going on between the two boys. Tim did not take any notice however. 

Hey! Just because I might not remember _exactly_ how a _Habui_ bird looks like, doesn't mean I'm not _good_ at shape-shifting. I mean, I _am_ pretty good. In fact I have _loads_ of talent. Just ask anybody! Anybody at all! Tim yelled angrily. 

"Oh relax," Steve told him in annoyance. He had grown quickly used to the Animorphs as horses. Actually, it wasn't really a form of growing _used_ to the morphing, as it was an advanced form of 'not thinking about it'. "Let's just get out of here. Who am I riding?" 

Kid's got a point, Rachel said reluctantly as she sidled up to Georgia. Get on, she said. Georgia blinked in slight confusion before complying. Luckily the human who's body she was controlling had at least the rudimentary knowledge of riding, at least enough to get _on_ the horse, the result of a year of horseback riding lessons. 

Cassie allowed Steve onto her back as Jake walked up to the serious changarian woman. What's your name? he asked solemnly, looking at her with gentle horse eyes. 

The woman hesitated for a moment and for a second a look of sheer shock crossed her face, but in an instant it was gone, covered with a mask of indifference. "I am... Sonya. That is my forename. That is an interesting shape you and your friends have taken. What is it called?" she asked after a moment's pause. 

Jake hesitated before answering, something about Sonya's question unsettling him. It almost seemed as if she knew more than what she was telling... But that was ridiculous. It's not important, what matters is that we get out of this _park_ as soon as possible. Climb up, Jake told her, avoiding having to answer her question. Sonya stared at him a moment more before immediately climbing up the side of Jake's horse morph. She was obviously unfamiliar with riding by the clumsy way she was climbing up, but her determination got her to the top anyway. 

I don't mean to be a pain- Marco began to say privately to the Animorphs. 

You don't have to, Rachel interjected, shifting her weight so Georgia would stop sliding off, apparently the riding lessons she had taken had been a _very_ long time ago. 

-but is anyone up for a little luggage trade? Marco asked, flicking his head backwards at Ali who was pretty much laying on top of Marco, trying desperately to stop falling off. She clutched his mane rather painfully. 

Nope, We're all fine and dandy here, Jake said, mentally chuckling. 

Hey guys! Let's get going down there! Tobias yelled from above, Jake glanced upwards at Tobias, who was barely a speck in the sky now. A few hundred feet lower, a larger speck was apparent. Jake assumed it was Tim, who had started his climb a few minutes ago. Jake then looked back at the Animorphs, the kids that strange girl had forced onto them, and the changarian women, Sonya. 

Alright, let's go, he said. And they did. 

  
  
The Overlord of Everything watched with interest at the television screen before her. On the screen were the Animorphs and their new companions in clear, crisp color. Sound included. Angle changed and such to give the appearance of a movie, despite the fact that there were no cameras in the Park. This caused her no alarm though, it was just an overlord thing. She watched the Animorphs leave, moving swiftly to reach the City. She was keeping an eye on them despite the fact that she would be unable to help them if they got into any trouble. But it wasn't just that... it was fun. Sure, she would be able to wipe out the Croake easily without a blink, laws allowing, mortals... people on the other hand.... they had to _work_ at it. 

Overlord suddenly blinked and pulled up the long sleeves of her black robes, revealing a silver-colored watch. The watch suddenly went off and she blinked again before grinning. "Almost forgot," she mumbled to herself. She rolled over and stuck her hand down deep inside the giant red beanbag chair, searching for a moment. Finally, she pulled out the remote control to the large television set and clicked it at the screen. The t.v. blinked off as the camera angle switched to a birds-eye-view of the Animorphs. 

"Hey. What are you doing?" asked a voice from behind Overlord. Overlord turned her head and saw Melinda standing impatiently at the doorway. 

"I'm experimenting," Overlord said absent mindedly. 

"Well do it some other time, a couple people want to see you. They are not happy, in fact, they are kind of _pissed_." 

"Well they can wait! Now shut up, I've been waiting all _week_ for this!" Overlord shouted in annoyance before turning back to the television set. She dropped the remote to the floor below her. She then sat quietly, simply staring at the television set. Melinda leaned against the wall and watched Overlord curiously. The Overlord of Everything wasn't one to simply sit and stare at nothing. 

A minute went past... 

Suddenly, the television screen blinked on, instead of the Animorphs however, showing instead only snow. Overlord blinked at the t.v. and looked downwards at the remote control. She had not touched it. Not that it actually mattered, turning on a television set with her mind was easy enough, but she had not. And besides that, she would never turn her television set on to snow. Overlord blinked again, reached out a finger, and turned the television set off. 

Another minute went past... 

The television set turned on by itself again. This time instead of snow however, it turned to a fuzzy picture of a large stone well. Overlord leaned forward, her eyes widening. A large bowl of popcorn appeared at her elbow and she dug out a handful, stuffing it into her mouth and chewing slowly as she watched the screen intently. 

A hand suddenly appeared out of the well. Overlord gasped and stuck another handful of popcorn in her mouth. Following the hand was an arm, soon dragging out a small body. A girl, barely ten. The child dragged herself out of the well, falling to the ground. Her arms and legs were pale to meet the whiteness of the dirty, dress she was wearing. Even though it was only a picture, the girl was obviously soaking wet. Overlord tried to get a glimpse of her face but it was totally covered in the girls long, dark brown hair. Overlord reached down to capture the old maids at the bottom of the popcorn bowl, tossing the partially-popped kernels in her mouth as the girl began to crawl forward towards the screen. Overlord watched eagerly as the girl came to the edge of the screen, logically to go beyond the picture and Overlord's view point... 

She went through it. 

Overlord watched, her eyes as round as oranges as the little girl began to crawl actually _through_ the screen and into her throne room, she remembered watching the strange video last week, knowing that _this_ was what was going to happen, hearing all about the people who had died... yet watching it anyway. The little girl was still as pale as death, because she _was_ death. Never eating, never drinking, never sleeping... She crawled through the screen and began to crawl towards Overlord. Overlord heard Melinda stirring from behind her, but did not bother to think about it, her attention on the small girl before her. 

The girl climbed to her feet, water dripping and creating a puddle all around her. She began to look up at Overlord, her dark, dirty hair still covering her face like a shroud. The hair parted, Overlord saw the girl's face. Her lips, her nose, and then her eyes. Those dead, glowing eyes. 

And Overlord saw the Ring. 

... 

. . . 

. . . 

. . . 

The Overlord of Everything blinked. 

"That's it?" she asked to dead girl before her. The dead girl said nothing, probably because she had no idea what to say. 

"You know, I watched that tape last week expecting the thrill of my life _this_ week. C'mon, there has to be more than _that,_ right?" Overlord asked in annoyance. 

"Seven days," the girl croaked. 

"Yeah, I know. But I only die for really good scares. That just wasn't good enough," Overlord said unhappily. 

"Seven days," the girl repeated again. 

Overlord sighed. "You disappoint me," she remarked before pointing a finger in the air and twisting an invisible thread. The girl blinked her dead, glowing eyes once before disappearing out of existence. 

Melinda blinked and then walked forward. "What was that all about?" she asked. 

Overlord sighed and laid back on her giant red beanbag chair. "Just patching up a hole. If she had _really_ scared me, I might have let her slide, but she didn't. Oh well, she was causing an annoying warp in the time/space matrix anyway. Stealing life force gives me headaches." Overlord looked morose despite this fact however. "I really _wanted_ to be scared too. I'm really bored." 

"And your little patch of the universe on the edge of impending war doesn't frighten you even a little bit?" Melinda asked incredulously. 

"Not really." 

"... okay then. But back to what I was trying to tell you before, you have a couple visitors waiting for you and they are not the least bit happy. One of them actually tried to force himself into the castle but the shielding you set up held him back. He's still not happy though," Melinda said, changing the subject. As far as she was concerned, what had just happened was simply another example of Overlord's eccentricity. Or maybe she was just simply stupid. 

Overlord snorted. "Well tell them to come back next week, I'm busy." 

"Doing what?" Melinda asked. 

"Sleeping," Overlord replied as she began to dig her way to the bottom of the giant red beanbag. 

"Oh, well all right. I think that the prune's with them though," Melinda mentioned before beginning to walk out the door. Overlord stuck her shaggy-haired head out of the beanbag, her glasses glinting in the bright lights. 

"Really? Cool. Maybe I'll go meet them after all," Overlord remarked as she hopped out of the beanbag and marched up to Melinda. "Go bring them up here." 

"What's with that Drode-thing and you anyway? He's not exactly cute... or even plain... or even only mildly disgusting..." Melinda asked curiously. She might blame it on Overlord's stupidity but she wanted to see if there might be a better reason. 

The Overlord of Everything sighed and shook her head. "Melinda, Melinda. You have to understand that there is more to the universe then looks... or manners... or habits... Until you get that, you couldn't possibly understand." 

Melinda blinked. 

"It's an overlord thing," Overlord told her. Melinda shrugged and walked out the door. As she waited, Overlord walked back up to the television set, shook her head with a sigh, and made it disappear. A few moments later, Melinda reappeared through the door way leading two very annoyed entities and a few lackeys. Overlord turned around and brightened. "Hey! How ya doing?" she grinned happily. 

"Not so well," the Ellimist replied. For the meeting he had taken on his usual form of a tall, blue-glowing elf. A very disgruntled looking tall, blue-glowing elf. 

_WE HAVE MATTERS TO DISCUSS._ Crayak said coolly, hate radiating from his very being. He had chosen to appear on as his true form, a giant part-flesh, part-machine monolith darkness. His head, if you could call it a head, scraped the ceiling and his very being seemed to take up the entire room. Despite this however, there still seemed to be plenty of room. His dark, red-glowing eye stared down at the tiny Overlord. 

"I wasn't talking to you guys," Overlord told them in annoyance. Hey Drode, I wanted to ask before but I didn't get a chance, you know, with the whole Changarian/Croake conflict, but now that I got the time... why are you so wrinkly? Is it like a genetic thing? Or did you get caught in a fire? If so I could probably fix you up." 

The Ellimist and Crayak looked down at the evil lackey of Crayak. The Drode looked back up at them and blinked nervously. "Hey! It's not _my_ fault she's nuts!" he shouted in denial. 

"That's mean," Overlord pouted. 

"Ms, despite the fact that Crayak and I are enemies, we have called ourselves at a truce so that we may both come to speak to you," the Ellimist began to say, ignoring Overlord's words. 

"Really? Wow, I feel so honored," Overlord said snidely. "You know what would really honor me though? If you went and did the tango together. That would really honor me. Why don't you go do that?" Crayak lurched towards Overlord in a rage, luckily though, the Ellimist held him back by a wall of blue light. 

_LET ME GO ELLIMIST! I HAVE MADE A TRUCE WITH YOU BUT IT IS EASILY BROKEN!_ Crayak roared. 

"And if she dies, we won't be able to talk to her," the Ellimist reminded him. 

"So let's have it. What is so big and important that you both needed to come and talk to me about it? Do you even know who I am?" Overlord demanded. 

Crayak subsided, the blackness around him fading slightly as his temper cooled, slightly. _WE _ FELT _YOU. WE FELT YOU DELVING INTO THE TIME/SPACE FABRIC AND TWISTING IT. IT CAUSES PAIN. YOU STOLE MY PROPERTY-_

"Hey, Drode. Are you really alright with being treated as property?" Overlord interrupted. 

_YOU HAVE CROSSED ME._ Crayak said in his deep, ominous voice. _THOSE WHO CROSS ME DIE._

"You know what people are called when they are considered property? _Slaves_ man. They're called _slaves_. Now you Drode, you don't seem like the type-" 

"_Shut up!_" the Drode shrieked, his voice cracking. He really didn't need the attention from Crayak. 

"Hey man! I'm just saying!" Overlord responded. 

"Well don't!" the Drode said. 

"Alright, Alright..." Overlord muttered. 

A moment of pause went by... 

"So... what did you come to say again?" Overlord asked with a cough. She glanced over at Melinda who simply shrugged. 

"What we came to talk about was your use of the time/space matrix. And not just that, but you are also taking people from on Earth that have special meaning to us. In fact, you were interfering," the Ellimist told her in his most diplomatic voice. From beside him, Crayak simply growled and pumped out ominous vibes. The Drode gulped at his master's anger and took a couple steps back. Overlord's talk about slavery was a subject best left untouched around Crayak. The Drode just hoped Crayak would not get the idea that it might put deviant _thoughts_ into the small lackey's head. If so, he would not survive. 

"People meaning the Animorphs?" Overlord inquired, her eyes narrowing as she got down to business. 

"Yes, the Animorphs," the Ellimist nodded, his glowing blue beard picking up some minor, unfelt breeze. Totally for dramatic account Overlord suspected. 

"And you said I was interfering just now. I take it you were just about to use them in some crazy escapade I've heard so much about, right?" Overlord asked, depressing a grin which had just about to overtake her face. 

"...yes," the Ellimist admitted. 

"Heh," Overlord responded. 

_PUT THEM BACK. YOU ARE INTERFERING IN A GAME THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOU. OF WHICH YOU HAVE NO RIGHT._ Crayak demanded, drawing himself up so that Overlord would have to crank her head straight up to look into Crayak's enormous red eye. Of which she did no such thing. 

"Oh really?" Overlord said in response. She then reached out a hand and made as if to grab some invisible force, she then dragged her hand to her chest. 

UGGH! Crayak grunted as he was suddenly forced down from his lofty position, he found himself pulled down to the floor so that his eye was leveled with Overlord's. 

"Of which I have no right to, eh? I think you both are forgetting your position in this big universe aren't you? How you fit into the big plan, I mean. Well let me fill you in _Crayak_. This place. This whole _galaxy_. 30 billion light years man. It's all _mine_, you understand? _Mine_. It's my property, and everything that's in it belongs to _me_. You guys, you, the Ellimist, the Animorphs. Sentient races. You're all _tenants_. I _let_ you stay in my territory. You're _allowed._ You have no _rights_. It's all privilage. And _you_, Crayak, you have even _less_ privilege to complain." Overlord's eyes were narrowed to slits and sparkled dangerously. All trace of goofy idiocy was gone, only leaving the cool, calculating person that lurked just beneath the surface. It was simply a guise, the usual foolishness she showed. Or possibly, a defense against pressure. A defense against _true_ insanity. 

_WHAT DO YOU MEAN?_ Crayak asked with a gasp. Was it fear he felt? Overlord was powerful, more powerful than the Ellimist, more powerful than even him. More powerful than...? 

"You know who. You were chased away _Crayak_. Chased away from another territory, in fact, the one currently in question. I know all about _you_. Don't think I'm blind. You were a lackey, a lot like the Drode actually. And then you got stupid, you got cocky. You thought you could be more powerful than your master. Idiot. When you were chased away from that territory you then bumbled your way into mine, and you want to know what? I _let_ you stay. I could have chased you out myself just like you were before, or have given the power to one of my own lackeys to _kill_ you. That's the one thing you got lucky with Crayak. An overlord's inability to kill. I just don't know why _he_ didn't give another of his own permission to kill you..." Overlord stopped to think, her eyes returning to their normal width and losing that vicious sparkle. Her grip on Crayak relaxed and he moved away, his eye returning to it's regular position, though slightly lower. 

"Maybe he just realized that you and the Ellimist were going to cause me a _shit_ load of trouble with your little inner galactic war. Do you know just _how_ much damage you did? Do you really? Damn it, the _holes_ you were creating... you think those things just repair themselves? And they give me such _headaches..._ You're just lucky you guys really amused me enough to make those headaches worthwhile." Both Crayak and the Ellimist sensed that the sharpened edge of Overlord had subsided back into the flow of her giddy jubilance, her anger also diminishing as consequence. 

"Overlord, we didn't come here to fight," the Ellimist put forward. "Well, perhaps Crayak's reasons differentiate from my own, but I only came here to ask a question. Why did you use the Animorphs? I know that there are plenty of stronger creatures in the universe." 

"Why do _you_ use the Animorphs instead of any of the stronger creatures in the universe?" Overlord asked rhetorically. "A balance. A sense of justice has to come with all that power or nothing can be done. And besides that, like I told the Animorphs, I can't put forward _too_ strong of creatures, or he'll catch wind of me. Like this, he'll think it was you guys, which is why I used the Animorphs in the first place. The Drode said-" 

"Wait, the _Drode_ said?" the Ellimist interrupted, turning his elven head to stare at the Drode. 

_DRODE...?_ Crayak inquired with a growl. 

"I had no choice Lord Crayak! She _made_ me tell her!" the Drode whimpered, slowly backing into the wall. 

"Ah, don't blame him. I really _did_ make him tell me. You can't blame him for not being able to stand up to the great Overlord of Everything, can you? I could probably do the same thing to you, really," Overlord said with a grin. 

"This _other_ overlord you speak of... he is the reason you're being sooo... subtle?" the Ellimist inquired. 

"Yeah, I don't know how, but one of _his_ races have managed to cross over into _my_ territory and had begun to attack one of _my_ races. I say how because races are naturally inclined to stay inside the boundaries of their overlord's territory. Like when humans attain Z-space travel, they'll go in all directions except in the direction of the boundary. Well, there is one way... he might have extended their linkage with him to over the boundaries and then have _nudged_ them over... After they get over the boundary between his territory and mine the natural inclination towards staying inside their own territory wouldn't matter... But that would take a deliberate act by him... And he knows that would imply an actual act of _war_ by him." 

_THAN PERHAPS IT_ IS_ AN ACT OF WAR_ Crayak suggested scornfully. 

"But that's stupid... all overlords try to avoid war, causes too much property damage. I mean, that's the reason we split up territories in the first place, we have no reason to fight each other if we have absolutely no contact with each other... but I just don't no _why_..." 

"Why don't you ask?" the Ellimist offered. Overlord blinked. 

"That's not a bad idea..." Overlord mumbled thoughtfully. She glanced over at Melinda. "Hey! Melinda! We're going to make a little trip. You okay with that?" 

Melinda shrugged. "Whatever." 

"Okay, cool. What about you guys?" Overlord asked as she looked over at the Ellimist and Crayak. 

"You want us to come with?" the Ellimist asked with surprise evident in his blue glowing face. 

"Sure, an overlord is always supposed to be flanked by at least two guards in a overlord-overlord meeting. It's a diplomatic thing. You two are as good as any." 

Crayak growled. _I WILL NOT BE... WELCOME._

"Doesn't matter. You're with _me_," Overlord informed him. 

Crayak paused as he thought, his eye dimming as he went over the facts. He then growled. _I WILL COME._

"I'll come too if Crayak is coming," the Ellimist said suspiciously. Overlord knew it was because the Ellimist suspected that Crayak might take advantage of his absence. Not that she really cared. 

"Great then. Hey! Melinda! Let's get out of here!" 

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

Okay, we're all up to date here and now everybody is probably happy. Uh... really nothing to say now. I'm 18!!! An adult now! Feels kind of weird because it's like I'm _old_ now, but yet I'm writing fan fiction and it feels like fan fiction is for young people... but I _like_ writing fan fiction. Oh well. Review, try to leave something constructive, meaning improving my actual writing and not giving me ideas. You can give me unofficial ideas at Shiftywind1984@msn.com. That's been my e-mail address for 2 years by the way... 

_On a side note, Melinda's name has been fixed, several spelling errors, and the html... this story is now officially 'tweaked' and that is the last time I ever write anything without re-reading it several times before updating... err... anyone up for the task of beta-reader by the way? Shiftywind1984@msn.com, just remember, I also do DBZ stories... *sighs*_


	4. YOU THINK I REMEMBER THE CHAPTER NUMBER!

_

I dunno what chap this is... um... four I guess... does that sound right... yeah I think it is...

_

  
**NONINTERACTIVE FOREVER!!!**

_that's what it was called right... yeah i think it was..._

**BY: T.B. STORMSHOT... AND FRIENDS!!!**

_ooo... vague..._

_wait, Elcolo said that... ha ha... what a card._

...or maybe he said subtle, i dunno, i don't care enough to check...

  
  
Welcome friends and people I'm not at all familiar with... at all! In the least! Okay!

Anyway, glad to see you, or something! I don't own the Animorphs! I with I did, because all the money AppleGate made off of'em would really help with college! But I don't! Damn!

Well go ahead and read. 

Oh, and suffice to say, I'm doing this because I'm tired of horrible writers. We need some good stuff. I've even another humor in the racks if you want to know. 

* * *

Jake dug his hooves deep into the ground as he made pace to where the Changarian woman, Sonya, assured him the City was, Behind him ran the other Animorphs, Marco, Rachel, and Cassie, all morphed as horses like him and carrying burdens of their own with the three perfectly normal, or at least close to it, human teenagers on their backs. Ax ran alongside Jake in his normal andalite form, mildly enjoying the long run on flat ground despite the seriousness of their mission. And above, high in the sky, rode both Tobias and the changarian shape shifted boy, Tim. _Quite a group,_ Jake thought with an inward sigh. 

Sonya, are we getting close? Jake than called in thought speak. 

"Yes, we are in sight of it," Sonya replied stiffly, hands tightly gripping Jake's mane in order to hold on for dear life. 

Jake then strained his neck upwards to look up at the speck in the sky he took to be Tobias. Tobias, Sonya says we are getting close. Do you see anything? he shouted in private thought speak. 

No, all I see are more trees, Could be a hologram or something though-I'd act casual about it until we know for sure though, Jake Tobias shouted back down to him. 

I plan to, Jake replied firmly as he looked forward. 

"Stop here," Sonya suddenly said and Jake stumbled as he tried to stop in midstep, nearly sending Sonya flying off his back. 

"Hey? Why are we stopping?" Steve asked from atop Cassie's back. 

Jake looked back alarmingly at the slip, knowing that a normal changarian would know what was going on. Luckily though, Sonya took it differently. 

"It's a secret entrance for the police when we need to get in or out quickly. While most civilians take the main gates, we have no time to reach them," Sonya told them as she quickly slipped off Jake's back. "Look over there," she said, pointing at a large pine tree. 

What about it? It looks like a tree to me, Marco asked with a horse-ish snort. 

It's wilting, the branches are turning brown, Cassie observed, she surveyed the pine-filled landscape. It's not just that one tree. _All_ of them are wilting! Is it the virus? she wondered out loud. 

"Of course it is. All plants and animals in the parks are kept at their optimum level of health, they would _never_ be allowed to become like this," Sonya said in a slightly angry voice, her hands clutched into fists. 

Of _course_, Marco copped, Everybody knows _that._ She was just asking if it was the virus. 

If you would excuse me please, I believe we should be concentrating on getting into the city, rather than discussing these plants, Ax reminded them all, looking up at the sky with his eyestalks. 

Yeah, Ax has a point. The Croake, those aliens, can't just be dropping viruses that affect plants. Sooner or later they'll be dropping diseases that affect people too, and I don't want to be out here when _that_ happens, Rachel agreed with a whicker. 

Up on top of Rachel, Georgia was thinking the same thing. She had already decided that she would have to slip away from the Animorphs and the rest of the group if she wanted a chance of escaping. Surely a species that could fend off energy attacks from a space-faring race would have spaceships, and if they did, Georgia's yeerk was sure she would be able to pilot one, especially since the Changarian body was so similar to that of a human body. But she couldn't escape now, not out here in the open, but perhaps inside the city... 

Alright, let's get going. Tobias, Tim, get down here, Jake commanded. 

Hey! I don't have to take commands from you. You're not my boss! Tim yelled angrily in thought-speak. 

Just do it, Tobias told him in annoyance as he dove shallowly to the ground. 

No, he can't tell me what to do! Tim protested angrily, continuing to wheel at his present height. 

Sonya sighed angrily, "Tell him _I_ said to come down." 

Tim, Sonya says to come down... or they'll be trouble, Jake said, unable to resist tacking on the mild threat. 

Well... alright. But just make sure we get in there quick. I don't like the looks of those trees... Tim agreed reluctantly. 

He has Treephobia, the fear of trees or tree-like shrubs, Marco snorted. 

"You will all have to shape-shift back to your original forms in order to enter," Sonya informed them all as she walked up to a large boulder. She tapped the boulder and a portion of the rock moved, revealing a digital number pad. 

Well if _they_ have to shape-shift, I'm going to shape-shift over _there_, Tim responded with a shudder as he landed on the ground, scratching it with his three bird feet. He made a whistling noise and stalked off behind a dying pine. 

That guy makes one ugly bird, Tobias remarked in disgust as he settled on the ground as well, preparing to morph. 

"He is young despite his appearance, don't give him too much credit," Sonya replied with a glance behind her shoulder. She tapped in the numeric code to the entrance of the city. "It will take a moment to process, this door is rather out-dated." 

The Animorphs took this time to demorph back to their human forms while Ax and Tobias did the opposite. Steve looked on in amazement and Georgia also looked on with amazement... though not quite as much. Sonya seemed only to be thoughtful about the process. 

Suddenly, something happened. It was hard to describe, but suddenly a great flash of light rippled through the blue sky and there was a horrible groaning noise. The clouds suddenly blew back leaving only the sky which had turned an unsettling murky green since the flash of light. 

"Wh-what the-??" Tim shouted in shock as he stared wide-eyed at the sky and Jake knew that this was not typical of Changarie. 

"_The shield!! THE SHIELD HAS BEEN BROKEN!!!_" Sonya shouted in horror. A horrible rushing noise filled the sky and the Animorphs knew that that sound spelt doom for Changarie. And them too if they didn't stop it. 

The door slid open. 

"Quick! Inside! Inside _NOW!_" Sonya shouted as she slipped inside quickly. The Animorphs and the others swarmed inside, just as a rain of laser fire fell from the sky. Only Jake stopped short of the door, long enough to look into the sky and see what filled it now. Huge, dark ships. Hundreds of them. Though only approximately half the size of a bug fighter, they were quicker and more agile and barraged the landscape with violet laser beams. Only now did Jake realize the size of the enemy. Only now did he realize what this enemy could do... and what Visser Three wanted to do. The enemy. The terrible, horribly powerful enemy. 

He went inside and the door slid shut. 

"No! NO! I can't believe it! The aliens! How did they get past our defenses?? _How??!_ We were way too powerful! Our shields were _way_ too powerful! They couldn't get through them before!! _How?!! HOW??!_" Tim shouted in horrified shock. 

"The time for questions is later. Get inside to safety now," Sonya barked sharply. "You too Jake," she added as she glanced at him, that curious glint back in her eye, but only for a second. Safety came first before questions. 

Jake nodded and glanced around to make sure everybody was alright. "Is everybody here?" he asked. He picked out his friends under the dim lighting inside the rock walls and relaxed. Everyone was here. 

Or were they? 

"Wait, where's that one girl... the short one with the purple hair?" Marco suddenly asked as he glanced around. 

"Who your perfect match," Rachel snorted, but the sarcasm faded as a worried look pinched her face. She glanced around but couldn't find her either. "Where _is_ Ali?" 

The Animorphs' searching eyes trailed back to the closed door. 

"Oh... _shit_," Marco remarked. 

  
  
"Okay, now relax guys, it takes a few precursorary measures to go into another overlord's dimension. Namely, I got to make it known that I'm coming. If I just sneak in he'll see it as an attack and-" the Evil Overlord of Everything began to explain. 

"-he'll take it as an act of war?" the Drode interrupted snidely. 

Seemingly, Overlord took no notice of the Drode's sarcasm and nodded. "Exactly. Now shut up and let me do this." With that Overlord turned around and walked over to a large stone wall on the far side of her beanbag throne room. She closed her eyes and concentrated. 

"What's she doing?" the Ellimist asked Melinda, staring intently at Overlord with glowing blue eyes. 

"Opening a portal through the boundaries of the Overlord territories. Because overlords don't want to fight amongst themselves and mess with the territory, they set up a number of boundaries to keep themselves apart, like the barrier that pushes the minds of sentient races away from the other overlord's territory. There is another boundary though that is primarily for overlords. It's a mental barrier which keeps them from teleporting into each other's territory," Melinda explained. 

"So what, is she breaking through or something?" the Drode asked curiously, raising a nonexistent eyebrow. 

_NO YOU FOOL. SHE IS UNLOCKING THE MAIN PORTAL TO ALLOW HERSELF TO TELEPORT TO THE OTHER SIDE. EVEN THOUGH OVERLORDS MAY WANT TO KEEP TO THEMSELVES, SOMETIMES IT IS... UNAVOIDABLE. BECAUSE OF THIS, THERE ARE MENTAL GATEWAYS LOCATED IN THE BOUNDARIES,_ Crayak explained further, despite his boiling anger. 

"I see... I will want to talk to this Overlord about all this when it is done, it is risky when your enemy knows more than you do," the Ellimist said with a frown. 

_LET'S SEE IF YOU CAN EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND _ELLIMIST. 

An uncomfortable pause followed the explanation. 

... 

... 

... 

"...Sure takes her a while to open the portal," the Drode sighed in annoyance. 

"Well she _does_ have 72 billion code words to break," Melinda shrugged. 

"Yeah, and it's taking especially long since you guys won't shut up long enough for me to get through them all either," Overlord agreed. 

  
  
"She's still outside! We have to go after her!" Cassie said in horror. 

"I'll go find her! Just let me out!" Rachel demanded, already morphing into a wolf, the best animal for tracking. 

"No way Xena. That's a good way to get killed," Marco remarked, shaking his head. His face was a pale white color. 

"We can't just leave her out there though!" Cassie cried, always sensitive to people in need. "She doesn't deserve to die like this!" 

"Hey, it's her fault she was out there! I say let her stay out there," Tim remarked coldly. "...And besides, all that laser fire... I mean, they might hit those trees and..." Tim shuddered at the thought of hundreds of falling trees. The sounds of 'timber!!!' echoing in the hills of the park. 

"I agree. We can't risk our lives for someone who wasn't smart enough to stay with the group," Steve nodded, backing up Tim. 

"That's not how things work here!" Rachel snarled, almost half-wolf already. Though she was horribly ugly right now, nobody had time to notice. 

"Everybody calm down!" Jake commanded angrily. Jake's voice was the type people obeyed immediately and with no exception. Everybody calmed down at once, though obviously they were still seething. "Now look," he said as he looked at everyone seriously. "I agree that it's not a good idea to go outside right now-" 

"That's right," Tim nodded. 

"But Jake! We can't leave her out there!" Cassie cried. 

"You didn't let me finish," Jake told them, "I don't think we should leave her out there either. Even if it _is_ her fault. But I'm not going to put the whole group in danger either, so only a few of us can go get her. Any volunteers?" 

I'm going, Rachel growled, now fully in wolf morph. 

"I'll go too," Tobias also volunteered as he stepped forward. He immediately began to demorph back to hawk, but Jake stopped him. 

"No Tobias. There's too much laser fire out there, that's an easy way for a hawk to get fried." 

"But-" 

"No." 

"I will go as well," Ax volunteered. Jake looked up at him in surprise. Ax wasn't compassionate about humans in general, he had no doubt in his mind that Ax would go after one of his comrades, but Ali wasn't exactly one of the group. 

"Are you sure Ax?" Jake asked. 

"Yes Prince Jake. As an andalite warrior I feel that it is my duty to find this human, Ali. The... the _Ellimist_ said she would be needed. I don't just do this for myself," Ax said, giving a human's smile, but only for a second, then the smile was gone, as well as his mouth for that matter. 

Jake nodded in sudden understanding. If things went wrong it wouldn't just be Changarie that fell, but Earth too, and eventually the andalite homeworld. Ax was doing this for his people, and not just that one human. "Alright then, Ax, Rachel, and me. Anybody else?" 

"Who said you were going Jake?" Marco asked, noticing that last addition. "No way, we're going to need you right here. You're the leader after all." 

Jake looked surprised. And why wouldn't he be? He wasn't one to send troops out into a fight and stay back in the safety of the trenches. It had never been like that, Jake had always fought alongside and he _never_ would send anyone to do a job he wasn't willing to do himself. "I have to go, they need me." 

No Jake, Marco has a point... for once. You need to stay here. Don't worry, we'll be back with her before you know it! Rachel said energetically, she was ready to go. 

Do not worry Prince Jake. It won't take long, she could not have gone far, Ax assured him as his scorpion tail shot out of his back and completed the morph. 

Prince Jake pressed his lips together and nodded reluctantly. "Is that everybody?" he asked, slightly disspirited. 

"I'll go too," Steve said suddenly. 

"What? But I thought you were on _my_ side!" Tim said angrily. 

"I was. But then I changed my mind. Jake has a point, we can't just leave her out there. No matter how stupid she was," Steve shrugged. 

No, he'd just slow us down, Rachel said with a growl, she looked at Steve and Jake with yellow wolf eyes. 

I agree. We must move quickly, Ax agreed. 

"Hey! What about those superpowers we're supposed to have though? They could come in handy if we get into a jam," Steve pointed out. 

"Excuse me, but there is no time to argue," Sonya suddenly intruded. In anticipation of the search she had already typed the coding back into the door and had her hand hovering over the button which would slide it open. 

"She's right," Jake said quickly. "We have to move. Ax and Rachel, I want you to take Steve. I know it'll slow you down, but hopefully she gave him something useful. If not, then at least he may be able to help you get her back if she's hurt. The rest us... we'll wait for you." 

We'll come back, Rachel told him firmly. 

"You better," Jake whispered. 

Sonya slid the door open. 

And they were gone. 

_TO BE CONTINUED..._

* * *

I blame the badness of this chapter on the fact that I did the last chapter half a year ago... or more... probably more. I really can't tell. Anyway. I blame the badness on that. I'm rusty, and I hate it. I haven't read an Animorph book in a while. I'VE BEEN READING STEPHEN KING. Geez, I'm far gone... On the bright side, I also read this book called Howl's Moving Castle. Man that was a great book, spent all night reading that one... 

Anyway, I figure maybe I'll pick this up again. I'm out of school, and I'll be going to college in a few months. I'm going to Ai, Art Institutes International Minnesota... art school. Hopefully I'll be getting my Bachelor's Degree of Science in Media Arts and Animation. That should be fun. I'll be able to make my own cartoons. Didn't know I had talent for drawing did ya? Ya learn new things every day I guess. 

What was I talking about? 

Oh yeah. anyway, I might pick this up again. **But I need ideas. Seriously. I'm not picking this up again unless you guys give me ideas. Why? I have almost absolutely NO idea what's happening next. At all. I sorta know what Overlord might do, but have no idea about the Animorphs. I need help. Seriously. HELP ME.**

Read... review... whatever... T.B. Stormshot out. 


End file.
